Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented July 24, 19004 H. B. ROBINSON. ACETYLENE ans GENERATOR.

(Application filed Nov. 16, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented July 24, I900.

H. B. ROBINSON. AGETYLENE GAS azuanm'on.

' 1 A lication filed Nov. lg, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2!.

(No Model.)

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Patented luly 24, I900.

No. 654,49l.

H. B. Roamsou. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Nov. 16, 1899.) Nodeh) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Patented m 24, I900.

No. 654,49l.

H. B. nosmson. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Ap pllcution filed Nov 10, 1890.

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Nuts STATE PATENT 'QFFICEE.

HARRIET B. ROBINSON, OF MILFORD CENTER, OIIIO.

ACETYLEN E-GAS- GEN ERATONR.

SPECIFICATION forming part a Late; Patent no. 654,491, dated July 24,1900. Application filed November 16, 1899. aerial No. 737,159. (No model.)

My invention relates to acetylene-gas ma chines; and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide means for automatic ally feeding a definite quantity of carbid to the generator at intervals depending uponthe quantity of gas in the gasometer; or, in other words,my invention contemplates automatic devices for discharging a predetermined quantity of carbid into the generator at times when the gas is running low in the gasometer, the intervals of discharge of the carbid to the generator being thusmade dependent upon the volume or used from the gasometer.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is afront quantity of gas elevation of an apparatusmade in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the generator. Fig. 3 isaplan view of my gas-machine, the bell and cover being removed, showing the carbid-cells in the feed-wheel. Fig. 4 is a detail plan 'view of the generator, the feed-wheel being removed. Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view of thefeedwheel, showing one of the bottoms dropped down. indicator, partly broken away. i Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the feed-wheel compartment. Fig. 8 is an elevation of carbidchamber, showing the pulley and weight. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective View of the top of the carbid-chamber. Fig. 10 is a View of one of the partitions and doors of the carbid-cells. Fig. 11 is a View of the crank. Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11 11 Fig. 2. Fig. 12 is a detailed plan and partial section of the upper portion of the carbidc'hamber. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective of the pulleys, cord, and weight for operating the feed-wheel.

Like characters of reference designate like parts wherever they occur in the various views of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the numeral1 designates the feeding-chamber; 2,

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the.

the generator; 3, the gasometer; 4, the pipe leading from the generator to the gasometer, and 5 the indicator or gage.

The feed-wheel for discharging the carbid at intervals into the generator consists of a peripheral rim 6 of sufficient depth or width to give room forthe requisite amount of car- The hub '7 of the feed-Wheel Radial par bid in the cells. turns about a central spindle 8. titions 9, secured to the outer surface ofthe hub and to the inner face of the rim 6, form cells or compartments. l0. The number and holding capacity of these cells will vary in machines of different sizes or for apparatus of different capacities. A horizontal flange 11 is formed on or secured to each partition at the upper edge thereof, and immediately under said flanges rods 12 are arranged, said rods being rigidly secured at one end to the hub 7 and at the opposite end to the rim 6.

which the doors 14 are hinged. These doors form hinged bottoms for the cells, and they are held in closed positions by angle-levers or latches 15, pivoted at the outer surface of the rim 6. The latches shown have oppositely-bent ends, connected by pintels journaled in keepers 16 on the rim 6. The doors 14 are provided with 1ugs 17 at their outer corners, and the rim 6 is recessed at 18 to form seats for engagement of said lugs. of each latch extends outward when the bottom or door of the cell is closed, and the purpose of this construction is that they may engage with a tripping device placed at the desired point on the compartment containing the feed-wheel and in the path of the outwardly-eXt-ending ends of the latches to turn the latches in the keepers to permit the door to drop by the weight of the carbid resting upon its upper surface, the door-hangers 13 aiding in this operation by swinging slightly out, thus forming inclined walls for the discharging-cell. The upper edge of the rim 6 is formed with a series of ratchet teeth or notches 19 for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to. e V

The compartment 20, within which the feedwheel revolves, forms an enlarged extension of the generator-chamber 21. The bottom 2 of the compartment 20 has an opening 23 One end.

Journaled upon the rods 12 are door-hangers or false partitions 13, to the lower edges ofv at a suitable point to receive the carbid as it isdischarged from the cells 10. An inclined bottom or chute 24 is formed in the opening 23, and this chute leads to the generator-chamber 21 in such a way as to discharge carbid near the center of the generator. To prevent moisture from entering the carbid-cells from the generator-chamber, a hinged door or flapvalve 25 is pivoted at its upper edge within the generator and normally closes the ef1- trance to the generator. When a carbid-cell is discharged on the inclined chute 24, the carbid slides down the incline and opens the door 25, and. after the carbid hasentered the. generator from the chute the door or valve closes automatically. Atapointsubstantially above the center of the opening 23 the inner wall of the compartment 20 is provided with a stop or tripping lug 26, projecting into the path of the latches 15 to turn them for opening the doors 14 of the cells 10 to discharge the carbid. Three. pulleys 27, 28, and 29 are suitably jonrnaled to the wall of the compartment 20, and a cable or chain 30 passes around said pulleys and through a guideway 31. A housing 31, Fig. 13, is secured to the outer wall of the casing 1, and the cable. or chain 30 is inclosed within this housing and passes up and outv at the open top thereof. A weight 31 is attached to one end of said cable or chain, and the opposite end thereof is connected to a connecting-rod 32. An arm 33, pivoted on the spindle 8, extends outward and into the guideway 31, where it is connected to the cable or chain. The arm 33 has a pawl 34, designed to. engage the rachet-teeth 19.

The. generator-chamber 21 hasa hollow tube 36. journaled in the bottom thereof, and stirrer-arms 37 are secured to said tube. The upper end of said tube 36 is squared, as shown in section in Fig. 11, in order that a crank or wrench 38, Fig. 11, may be applied thereto to stir the exhausted carbid when it becomes. necessary to discharge it through the. gate 39 prior to recharging the apparatus. When the exhausted carbid is to be removed from the. generator, the cover 46 is removed from the generator. The arm 33 is then removed from the spindle 8, when the carbidwheel can'be lifted out and recharged. I The wrench 38 may now be applied to the squared end of the tube 36, and the exhausted mass of carbid in the generator may be agitated by the stirrers until it is thoroughly mixed with the water in the generator. This mass can then be easily discharged through the gate 39. The tube 36 forms a bearing for the spindle 8 of the feed-wheel.

The outer casing 40 of the generator is made to substantially conform to the shape of the generator-chamber and the feed-wheel compartment, excepting in particulars to be hereinafter referred to. A water-supply tube 41 is. connected to the casing 40, and at its upper end is provided with an inlet-opening 42 erator-wall. The tube 41 is divided by a partition 41 ,which extending from the top thereof to a point nearthe bottom forms a trap or water seal to prevent the escape of gas from the generator. A water-tight cover 45 fits over the generator-chamber 21 and is provided with a central aperture to accommodate the tube 36. The cover 46, having a rim 47, which fits between the inner and outer casing of the feed-wheel compartment, has an idle cog-wheel 48 journaled within the housing 49, raised-above the top wall of the cover. The idle cog-wheel is located at a point immediately above the chute 24 when the cover is in place, and the purpose of said cog-wheel is to push the carbid out of the cells, if by any chance the same should bind or clogwhen the door 14 is opened. Secured to the outer surface of the top of the cover 46 isv a crossbar 51, which fits. under catches 52 on the outer casing 1. This cross-bar 51 has a central threaded aperture through it, and fitted to said aperture is a screw-threaded valvestem 50, having a valve a secured to one end thereof and a hand-wheel I) attached at the other en d. The cover 46 also has cross-braces 0 having hand-holds cl and a valve-seat e for the valve a. The valve is packed or suitably constructed to be air-tight and is for the purpose of holding the cover down in place and to serve as a vent to permit the cover to be removed.

The gasometer 3 consists of an outer casing 54, which may be suitably connected to the generator, as by the connecting-plates 55. Secured in keepers upon the outer surface of the casing 54 are the upright guide-rods 56 for the bell 57, the latter being provided with the usual guides 58v for moving on the rods 56. Extending down into the. bell at a central point is a tube 59, closed at its lower end and having an aperture-cap 60 at its upper end. A rod 61 extends through the aperture in cap 60 and down into the tube 59, and at the lower end of said rod a counterbalanceweight 62 is secured, which coming in contact with cap 60 as the bell 57 descends imparts motion to the carbid-wheel through rod 61, lever 66", and rod 32. The upper end of rod 61 is provided with a hook 63, which hooks into clevis 66 on a lever 66 the opposite end of the lever being similarly connected to the rod 32. A bifurcated cross-bar 67 extendsv across the top of guide-rods 56 and is suitably attached to the guide-rods to brace them and to serve as a guide for the lever 66 Three pipes 68 69 70 have their open upper ends terminating near the upper inner wall or top of the bell 57. The pipe 68 leads from the generator and has a stop-cock 71, operated by a crank or lever 72. 'The handle of the crank 72 always occupies a position across the top of the cover 46 when the stop-cock 71 is open in order that the cock will always be closed before the cover 46 can be removed for recharging or for any other purpose. The pipe 69 is the safety or exhaust pipe and may be connected to apipe leading out of the building. A pipe 69 surrounds the upper portion of pipe 69 and serves as a safety-valve. The purpose of this pipe is to permit the superfluous gas to escape, provided the pressure is excessive in the gasometer. The pipe 70 is the gas-supply pipe. These three pipes pass out of the gasometer and are each provided with a T 68, 69, and 70*. To the lower ends of these couplings short drain-pipes 68", 69 and 70 are connected. The open lower ends of these drain-pipes extend below the water-level in the water-can 73, suspended from the gasometer. The can 73 serves as a trap to catch refuse matter from the pipes 68, 69, and 70, and said can being filled with water an efficient seal is created for the drainpipes.

An indicator or gage 5 is secured to the division-wall 55. This indicator consists of a casing having a sightopening 75 andan inner disk 76, having gage-marks upon'its outer surface and ratchet-teeth 77 upon its outer edge, equal in number to the compartments in the carbid-wheel. A spring-impelled arm 78 extends out of the casing in the path of a projection '79 on the bell. The arm 78 is normally thrown upward by the spring 80 and is carried down by the projection '79 one notch every time a cell is discharged and when the bell 57 is in a lowermost position, the gage registering by the turning of the disk operated by the arm 78.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: After the machine has been permanently set up and the pipes properly connected, as described, the water-can 73 is filled, and a sufficient quantity of water placed in the generator to fill it and to form the water-seal, hereinbefore referred to. The carbid -cells 10 are then filled with calcium-carbid, each cell containing substantially the same amount, excepting the first one to be discharged,which may have but a small charge. The cover 46 is secured in place, and the lever '72 is turned to open cook '71. The cable or chain 30 is then raised by hand to deliver the contents of the first cell into the generator. The gas thus formed raises the bell 57, and as the gas is used from the gasometer the bell descends until the arm 78 on the indicator or gage 5 has been depressed to register the charge used. Then the cable or chain 30 having been raised by the descent of the bell rotates the feed- Wheel one ratchet-tooth to bring another cell in position over the chute 24:, and the lug 26 trips thelatch 15 and discharges the contents of another cell into the generator, and as the gas formed by this charge enters the gasometer it raises the bell. hen the bell again descends, it again registers and discharges another cell into the generator, and so on until all the cells have been discharged, when it is to be again refilled with carbid.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by my apparatus gas is formed as fast as it is used from the gasometer by an automatic feeding device rendered operative by the amount of gas used and working either fast or slow, dependent upon the volume required or used. Another feature of importance in my apparatus resides in the fact that the feed ing-chamber containing the carbid-wheel is entirely out ofi from exposure to a water-surface, and as a result of such isolation the carbid may remain in the feeding-chamber an indefinite time without deterioration.

I do not wish to be understood as being restricted to the exact construction disclosed, as many changes .in details may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my'invention, what I claim is-- 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a rotary cellular feed-Wheel for containing carbid in its separate compartm ents,doors hinged to false partitions hung upon pivots Within the cells, latches for holding the doors closed, a stop for operating the latches to open the doors, and pawl-and-ratchet mechanism for rotating the feed-wheel, step by step, in combination With a gasometer-bell and connections between said bell and ratchet mechanism to operate the latches to discharge the contents of the compartments singly into the generator by the movement of the bell, substantially as described.

2. The feed-Wheel, consisting of a number of cells for containing carbid, and having hinged bottoms or doors, means for dropping the doors to discharge the contents of the cells into the generator, in combination with an idle cog-wheel located over the cells forassisting the discharge, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas machine, a rotary feed-wheel journaled above the generator, and consisting of a series of cells for containingcarbid, partitions hinged within said cells, the bottoms or doors of said cells being hinged to the partitions, pivoted latches for holding the doors closed, and means for tripping the latches to let the doors drop and to swing the partitions to form inclined slides to discharge the carbid into the generator, substantially as described. V

4. In an acetylene-gas machine, a rotary feed-wheel journaled above the generator, a series ofcells in the feed-wheel, partitions hinged within the cells, doors pivoted to the partitions, pivoted latches for holding the doors up, means for tripping the latches to drop the doors and swing the partitions, and

an idle cog above the discharge-opening for pushing the carbid out of the cells, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRIET l3. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

BENJ. E. 300m, A. L. SCOTT. 

